Beach

EVERY year thousands of whales make the journey from Antarctica to the warmer waters along Australia’s east coast. From July to October it’s easy enough to hit the road in your hire car from Sydney or Brisbane and drive along our coastline to catch a glimpse of migrating Humpback whales. Here are seven places you can shoot one – with a camera, of course. We love them. Cape Byron State Conservation Area Where: 165km south west of Brisbane Australia’s most easterly point, Byron Bay, is perfect for whale watching. The 3.7 km Cape Byron walking track is the conservation park’s main trail. Begin at the Cape Byron Lighthouse, where you’ll learn from volunteers about these fascinating creatures before strolling through rainforest and beaches where you’ll spot breaching humpbacks. Port Macquarie whale watching tours Where: 385km north east of Sydney The abundance of marine life off Port Macquarie’s shoreline makes it ideal for migrating whales between June and October. Observe them…

PARK IN PROFILE: BIG4 Beacon Resort, Queenscliff, Vic Where: 78 Bellarine Highway, Queenscliff. Website: http://www.beaconresort.com.au 10 words or less: Stylish modern cabins, marine parks, bike trails, kids heaven. The lowdown: Pick up your Victorian campervan rental and head south for the Bellarine Peninsula and you will discover the beautiful BIG4 Beacon Resort. Adventure is the name of the game for visitors to the Bellarine Peninsula, as BIG4 Beacon Resort in Queenscliff is the ideal spot for an action-filled family break. Cycle one of the scenic bike trails, test your surf skills at a local beach or stay at the park and join the aqua aerobics classes or weekly yoga class. There are also plenty of ways the kids can burn some energy including an inflatable trampoline, tennis court and adventure playground. Of course, a holiday can’t be all work and no play. An on-site day spa allows you to reward your efforts with a massage and pedicure. Accommodation at the…

PARK IN PROFILE: Lake Ainsworth Holiday Park, NSW Where: Corner of Ross St and Pacific Parade, Lennox Head. Website: http://lake-ainsworth-holiday-park.nsw.big4.com.au 10 words or less: Great surf, quiet, quaint, great views, perfect for R&R The lowdown: Pick up your Gold Coast campervan rental and head south for a leisurely one hour cruise to the peaceful coastal village of Lake Ainsworth, between Ballina and Byron Bay. This venue is home to some awesome scenery and great surf. The award-winning BIG4 Lake Ainsworth Holiday Park is set among the tea-trees alongside the lake and the nearby surfing opportunities are world-class and known for its right-hand point break. The point break is beautiful, but powerful and dotted with local surfers competing for a wave. Although it’s not a break for those starting out, the beach is a hotspot for spectators. Set up base at BIG4 Lake Ainsworth Holiday Park in options ranging from deluxe villas to unpowered campsites. If surfing isn’t your thing, grab…

If you’re visiting Victoria or just looking for a great day or weekend away from Melbourne there’s plenty of places to visit just a stone’s throw from the city. Here’s our collection to tackle with your Melbourne Car Rental from the Bellarine Peninsula to the Great Ocean Road….. Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale How Far: 105km south-west of Melbourne (90 minutes) Getting there: Across the West Gate Bridge on the Geelong freeway and continue down the B110 Bellarine Peninsula Highway Point Lonsdale sits at the head of Port Philip bay on the edge of the Rip, the Bay’s narrow entrance. This quiet unassuming seaside town, has family friendly bayside beaches whilst on the surf back beaches there are amazing rock pools to swim and explore in and miles of empty beach to get lost on. Off-beach there’s plenty to do including tennis courts and a shopping strip with cafes, super-market, surf shop and restaurants. 2 Holiday parks in Point Lonsdale offer…

THE weather is heating up as we move into the Southern Hemisphere warmer months and that means we can start thinking about hitting the road in you Australian car rental and heading for the beach. After all, Australian road trips don’t get much better when there’s a beach on the end of it! With hundreds of hotspots to park your wheels (and your beach towel), we dig up five great beach destinations within 2 to 5 hours away in your DriveNow car rental. Apollo Bay, Vic The journey: Only two and a half hours from Melbourne (along M1/ Great Ocean Road). The lowdown: With lots of sunshine and warm weather, what better time is there to relax and enjoy the southernmost town on the Great Ocean Road? Both surfers and swimmers can enjoy the 3km beach that fronts the main strip of shops in Apollo Bay. A popular summer destination, if you are looking for an adventure you have the…

SPRING is in the air and the sun is shining, so what better time to cruise the NSW coastline in your Sydney car rental and catch some aquatic attractions along the way. Here’s DriveNow’s top five coastal road trip suggestions from Sydney: 1) Jervis Bay, 200km along Princes Hwy/National Route 1 (about a three-hour drive). Spring is one of the best seasons to spot whales in this picturesque bay, where the magnificent creatures rest during their southward migration journey. Dolphin Watch Cruises boasts the best whale watch cruise in Jervis Bay, with multiple tourism awards and five viewing decks. 2) Montague Island near Narooma, 350 kms from Sydney along Princes Hwy/National Route 1 (a five-hour drive). This paradise island has the largest colony of Little Penguins in Australia. Learn about its history and conservation programs with the Eurobodalla’s evening Penguin and Whale Watch Tour – the perfect time to see the furry little creatures returning to their burrows. 3) Nelson…

THERE is not a lot at Arno Bay, but that’s exactly what we wanted. A great pub, a few local shops and a caravan park so close to the water that at one point I thought the waves were going to crash into the campervans and caravans! It is truly a ‘get-away’ place. If you are in South Australia and choose an Adelaide campervan rental, getting there is easy. Pick up your camper in the city and head north-west about 530km. Or, like we did, you can take the car and passenger ferry from Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula, just north of Adelaide, and cross the Spencer Gulf to Lucky Bay in under two hours. After negotiating Adelaide’s peak hour traffic only hours beforehand, Lucky Bay, with its awe-inspiring outback scenery, was a welcome sight. Arno Bay was an easy 20-minute drive from there. We fell in love with the place – and we weren’t the only ones. The people…

Where is Tin Can Bay? Just near Gympie in Queensland, that’s where, and only a leisurely three-hour drive in a campervan rental from Brisbane or a quick-fire 45-minute cruise if you pick up a Car Rental in Noosa. And boy, what a great little spot it is. Tin Can Bay is a very sleepy little coastal village, with some of the most stunning scenery. The beautiful harbour area is just fantastic dotted with a ton of yachts and people enjoying the area. It’s great for fishing, water sports and a super spot to explore the area. The best part, though, is the wild dolphin feeding which happens every day. The dolphins come ashore to meet and greet you (there’s my wife Sheree, pictured right), and for just $5 you can get a bucket of fish and stand in the water as they scoot around you – it really is worth the wait, too, and we had to wait three hours…

Despite the devastation of recent flooding and cyclones in Queensland, the sunshine state is still, and always will be, one of the country’s best destinations for a road trip whether it’s by rental car in Brisbane or a Brisbane campervan rental and you can rest assured the pathways are clear in the bottom half of the state which is brimming with magical experiences and, as Queensland Tourism’s Shelley Winkel faithfully points out, “is incredibly resilient”. None more so than the beautiful Gold Coast region. After grabbing your hire car or campervan rental in Brisbane, head for a one-hour southerly spin on the Pacific Motorway and you’ll be drenched in the sunshine and soft sands of the Gold Coast before you know it. Whether it be luxurious venues like the Sheraton Mirage Resort or a more family friendly holiday park such as Main Beach Tourist Park, there’s a world of options for accommodation. Then, of course, there’s no shortage of theme…